by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer is understandably hesitant to put himself in the shoes of Pat Tillman, his late friend and former Arizona Cardinals teammate who gave up a pro football career, and ultimately, his life, when he joined the U.S. military in 2002.

"You're asking me to morph into one of the freest thinking guys I've ever been around," Plummer says.

But there's one thing Plummer is sure of when it comes to Tillman, also his former teammate at Arizona State. If he were alive, he would take issue with today's NFL.

"I think he would've hated the new rules," Plummer says of the game's newer safety protocols, seen as advantages to offensive players. "He would say, 'How is it that they can go and make a living and make these big plays and we can't detach them from the ball and make our living?'

"He was a kamikaze. He played big even though he was small. That's how he made his living. He would've been fined a lot."

Plummer, 37, is carrying the torch for the Pat Tillman Foundation, established following Tillman's death in Afghanistan in 2004. The charity, which benefits veterans, active servicemen and their families, is one of three non-profits the NFL has partnered with this season to benefit members of the armed forces.

Last month, players wore pink on-field accessories such as receiving gloves and cleats in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. This month, players will have the option of wearing camouflage, and the league will donate $100 for every point scored in 32 designated "Salute to Service" games to the Tillman Foundation, the USO and the Wounded Warriors Project.

Twelve of those games will take place Sunday, Veteran's Day.

"You'll see the guys wearing camouflage gloves," Plummer says. "And it's not just to say thanks to the servicemen. The money is being used to help make a difference in some of these soldiers' lives when they come back."

Plummer isn't sure if Tillman would have rocked the pink, but he certainly would have worn the camo.

"He probably would've thought, 'Sweet man, I get to have a camouflage towel! That's bad ass!' " Plummer says. "You know, nobody knows what Pat was going to think. That was the beauty of that guy. He just had a very unique perspective on things. He was a one of a kind."

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